


Keys

by Lady Belarvs (fightthosefairies)



Category: The L Word
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-03
Updated: 2013-07-03
Packaged: 2017-12-17 13:14:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/867948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fightthosefairies/pseuds/Lady%20Belarvs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shane takes Jenny out for a drive. Post season six fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keys

Shane didn't say anything about where they were going that sunny Saturday afternoon -- just asked Jenny if she'd like to go for a drive with her. Jenny, of course, said yes and so the two of them got into Shane's jeep. They were driving for quite a while and in all that time, Shane didn't say a word. Jenny found herself looking around confusedly as Shane turned the Jeep onto a nondescript side-street and parked by a cozy-looking cafe that miraculously wasn't a Starbucks.

“Shane?” She began, frowning a little as she looked around. “Where are we?” Letting out a soft giggle, she pulled her sunglasses off and stuffed them into her bag. “If you'd told me that we were running away from home, I would have packed some stuff.”

For her part, Shane didn't reply. She'd pulled the key from the ignition and sat silently in the driver's seat, forearms resting on the steering wheel as she fiddled with the keys on her key chain. Shifting in her seat a bit, Jenny studied her girlfriend more closely, seeing the distant look in her eyes. “Um. I had a reason for bringing you over here,” she said softly, words coming out a barely audible croak. She paused to carefully clear her throat before she tried speaking again. “There was something I wanted to talk to you about.”

Jenny said nothing, just watched Shane fussing with her keys – sorting through them one by one as they were fed onto her ring. Jeep key, house key, the key to the front door of her studio, key to the studio's back door, dark room equipment locker key, Max's studio. Turning them on the ring deliberately like pages in a book, like there were words printed there that only she could see. Jeep key, house key, front door key... each one sliding around to click and jangle against the others like misshapen wind chimes. Jenny had noticed there was no breeze, that day – the air was hot and dry and even when she'd rolled her window down, it had given her no relief. 

Reaching out, Jenny gently rested her hand on Shane's shoulder, stroking it. “What did you want to tell me?” She prompted softly.

Sitting up straighter in the driver's seat, Shane roughly cleared her throat again, hands coming to rest in her lap, head ducked, eyes watching as her fingers continued sorting through her keys. House key, key to the front door of her studio, key to the back door of the studio... 

Without saying a word, Shane stuffed her keys into the pocket of her denim jacket and grabbed for the handle of her door, popping it open so that she could hop out. Shutting the door securely behind her, she circled around to the other side of the Jeep and opened Jenny's door for her, holding out her left hand to Jenny. “Come with me?” She asked quietly, anxiousness like shutters over her vulnerability, lips pursed into a thin line. 

“Of course,” Jenny said, immediately reaching for Shane's hand, fingers fitting into her palm, Shane's dry, warm fingers closing around her own as Shane helped her out of the Jeep. Shane shut Jenny's door for her and then the two of them walked, Shane leading Jenny by the hand, up onto the curb and the sidewalk. 

Jenny remained close to Shane's side, not out of uneasiness about being in an area that was strange to her, but more because she was trying to read her girlfriend's expression, trying to see what was going on behind those dark eyes. Shane held Jenny's hand cradled gently in both of her own, fingertips idly toying with Jenny's as they walked. 

Shane had parked the Jeep on a side street and, as they walked, Jenny could hear the sounds of traffic. Tearing her eyes away from Shane's face for just a moment, she looked up and could see that they were approaching a three-way intersection – a green street sign posted on the overarching street light stating that they were on Ocean Park Boulevard. Looking past the intersection, Jenny could see what looked like a beach access ramp. 

Jenny had a million questions ricocheting around in her mind, but decided to keep them to herself for the time being. As she looked around, she could see that they were surrounded by beach side bungalow-style homes and they, much like the neighborhood, seemed older but well cared for. 

“Shane? What are we doing here?” Jenny finally asked, a small, uncertain smile shaping her lips as she looked up at her girlfriend. 

“Would you come and sit down with me? Please?” Shane answered her question with a question, the look in her eyes intense and compelling as she tipped her head in the direction of a group of picnic tables set up in a small grassy area near the beach ramp.

“Sure,” Jenny said, answering without hesitation even though she was starting to feel a little uneasy in spite of herself as Shane led her over to the picnic area. Jenny took a seat on one of the bench seats, facing outward and Shane lowered herself to take a seat on the grass beside Jenny, never letting go of her hand even for a moment, thumb stroking back and forth over Jenny's fingers. 

“There's something I never told you,” Shane began softly, staring off towards the water, which they could see from their spot. Her eyes were distant as she watched the waves rushing up onto the sand only to begin their inevitable slide back. The seagulls were shrieking as they glided around on the breezes kicked up by the ocean. “For a long time, I thought I wouldn't have to, but... now that we're... together, I – I think you ought to know.”

“You can tell me anything, Shane,” Jenny said, her voice quiet but reassuring as she reached out with her free hand, carefully brushing Shane's hair out of her eyes. When Shane didn't respond, Jenny set her handbag aside and, still holding on tightly to Shane's hand, Jenny eased herself down to sit on the grass next to Shane. Their shoulders brushed and Jenny smiled, holding Shane's hand in both of hers in her lap as she tipped her head to one side, lightly resting it on Shane's shoulder. 

Letting out a quiet huff of warm appreciative laughter, Shane turned her head a bit, nuzzling her face into Jenny's warm hair. She placed a kiss there, giving Jenny's hand a squeeze. “You remember how I told you I didn't finish high school, right,” she murmured softly.

“Yeah, I remember,” Jenny said, nodding a little as it rested on Shane's shoulder. 

“There were other things I didn't... tell you about,” Shane said, the uneasiness winding through her words, making them heavy. “I didn't tell you about what happened to me. What happened after I dropped out.”

“Right,” she said, voice barely a whisper as she lifted her head from Shane's shoulder, looking up at her, blue eyes clear and open. “Okay.”

“I was here, Jenny,” she said, her throat seeming to want to close even as she tried to force the words out. Her knuckles were nearly white as her grip tightened on Jenny's hand. “When I dropped out of high school, I was fourteen. I came here and... I needed – I needed money. I needed to eat, so I... I cut my hair...” Even as Shane spoke the words, Jenny reached up, hand tenderly stroking Shane's hair, tucking it behind her ear. She said nothing to interrupt her girlfriend, but instead, she buried her face in the crook of Shane's shoulder, hooking her arm around Shane's neck and hanging on, her other hand still holding on tightly to Shane's hand. “I found some guys' clothes in the donation box at this youth center where I was staying and I... went out to make money.”

Feeling rather exposed at her confession and even more uneasy because Jenny hadn't spoken, Shane turned to look at her, finding Jenny gazing up at her, large blue eyes wet with tears. “Jenny?” She could barely speak, from the tight, dry knot that had formed at the back of her throat, but she had to know – had to know what was going on in Jenny's mind. 

Finally and gently disentangling her fingers from Shane's, Jenny reached up and cupped Shane's cheek with her hand and, moving with a surety and determination that surprised Shane, her lips met Shane's in a firm, passionate kiss. “Ohh, god,” Jenny whispered as their lips parted, fingertips ever so delicately tracing the curves and angles of Shane's features, the backs of her fingers lovingly stroking over her cheek. She lightly rested her forehead against Shane's, sniffling noisily even as she wrapped both of her arms around Shane's neck, holding on as though she was her only lifeline. Pressing another, softer kiss to Shane's cheek, tears streamed down Jenny's face. “Why did you never tell me?” She asked, biting her bottom lip a little as she looked up at Shane. 

“I – I didn't know what to say,” Shane murmured, voice cracking a little as she reached up to tenderly wipe Jenny's tears away with the pad of her thumb. “I didn't know how I could ever tell you and... I've never told anyone I've been ... you know, close to... like this, before.”

“Everyone's done things that they're not proud of,” Jenny said, hand smoothing over Shane's hair, her voice tremulous but resolute underneath it all. “It was one moment in your life... it doesn't define who you are.” Shane's eyes slanted over to meet Jenny's hesitantly and Jenny offered her a warm, sweet smile. “Does that sound familiar? Who said that?”

It took Shane a few moments and a concerted effort to swallow so that she could finally speak. “I did,” she whispered.

“Yeah, you did,” Jenny said, leaning in to brush a kiss to Shane's cheek. “And that's not who you are. That was never who you were. I know who you are... and I love you. I love you so much, Shane.”

“You do?” Shane asked, brows wrinkling even as she slipped her arm around Jenny's waist. 

Jenny nestled close to her side, then, fingers lightly stroking the tender skin of Shane's throat as she gave one of those decisive little nods of hers. “I do,” she said. “We've both done things we're not proud of, but all those things... all those mistakes and all those bad choices... they got us right here. Right where we are now. But I'm... I'm sorry you didn't have anyone to take care of you and treat you the way you deserve to be treated, Shane.”

“Well... neither did you,” Shane offered quietly, shoulder lifting in a slight shrug. Reaching up, she gently brushed Jenny's bangs out of her eyes, leaning in to press a soft kiss to her cheek. 

“I know,” Jenny said with a tiny smile, hand trailing over Shane's upraised arm. “I just mean that... all this time, it feels like it's always just been you and me. You're my only family, Shane.”

“Me, too,” she whispered, both arms going around Jenny's shoulders and pulling her in closer. Shane dropped a kiss to the top of Jenny's head as she rested it on Shane's shoulder and Shane let her head settle against Jenny's as the two of them hung onto each other. “I love you, Jen.” Jenny's arms went around Shane's waist and the two of them sat for a few minutes, just listening to the sounds of the ocean and the neighborhood. “There's... there's somewhere else I want to take you -- something I want to show you.”

“You can take me anywhere you want and show me whatever you want, Shane,” Jenny murmured, smiling as her face was nestled in the soft hollow of Shane's throat, smelling her sweet, faintly musky cologne. “But... is it okay if we stay here for just a little, tiny bit longer?”

Hand stroking up and down along Jenny's arm, Shane's lips drew back into a sweet smile against Jenny's dark hair as she pressed a few light kisses to it. “Yeah, we can stay for a little while,” she agreed, hand coming to rest on top of Jenny's as it settled on Shane's chest, just over her heart. 

“Kay,” Jenny said, her voice just this side of a whisper but Shane could still hear the gratitude in her response. “Thank you.”

“No, wh – what are you thanking me for?” Shane asked, letting out a startled chuckle. 

“For bringing me here... so I could see another piece of you,” she said and turned her head a bit so that she could watch one of those sport utility SUVs drive onto the beach ramp. She could see surfboards piled into the back of the truck as well as on the luggage rack on top of the SUV. “For telling me, even though you didn't have to.”

“No, I did, Jen. I really did,” Shane insisted, her voice soft but intense. “I've wanted to bring you here for a long time. I just...”

“What?” Jenny asked, lifting her head so that she could look up at Shane and meet her eyes. 

Shane took a deep, deep breath into her lungs, eyes darting away from Jenny's to look at the palm trees, the sea gulls, the tide, anything she could look at so she could avoid meeting Jenny's steady gaze. “I mean, I – I just didn't want you to think that this was all I was about, you know?” She finally managed, biting down on her bottom lip. “I – I didn't want that. But I didn't want you to be freaked, either.”

“I'm not freaked,” Jenny said as she gave her head a little shake, her tone as well as the look in her eyes both soft and reassuring. Turning her hand at the wrist, she curled her fingers around Shane's and lifted their joined hands, placing a soft kiss on the backs of Shane's fingers and then ducking her head to press a kiss to a spot just over Shane's heart. When she lifted her head, Jenny's lips drew back in a sweet smile as she lightly nuzzled the end of her nose against the end of Shane's nose. “I'm not freaked. See how not-freaked I am?”

“Yeah,” Shane whispered, chuckling softly even as she tilted her head just a fraction, pressing her lips to Jenny's in a delicate, lingering kiss. Drawing back and gently breaking the kiss, she reached up, hands cradling Jenny's face, her thumbs lightly stroking along Jenny's cheekbones. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Jenny asked, her girlish smile brightening to almost comical levels of wattage. 

“For being here with me and not being freaked,” Shane said simply, breaking off for a moment to steal another kiss. “For agreeing to come along without even asking where we were going. For... trusting me that much, after all that I --”

“Oh, Shane...” she whispered, slowly shaking her head even as she reached up to stroke Shane's cheek. “That's all over, now... and it's between you and me... right?” As she spoke, she drew her hand away from the warmth and smoothness of Shane's cheek to rest her fingertips lightly over Shane's heart and then placing her hand on her own chest. Leaning in, she dotted feather-light kisses to Shane's cheek. “Just you and me.”

“Yeah,” Shane nodded, smiling warmly even as she slipped both of her arms around Jenny's waist, gently drawing her girlfriend up onto her lap. She tipped her head up, lips pursing a fraction as she kissed the end of Jenny's nose, arms winding more tightly around Jenny's waist and pulling her in closer to nuzzle her jawline. “Just you and me.”

“So how short did you cut your hair?” Jenny asked, a curious light in her eyes as she reached up, fingertips seeking out her girlfriend's straightened locks and threading through them. “Back then, how short did you cut it?”

“Umm, it was... super short, like... guy-short,” Shane replied, turning her head a little to meet Jenny's eyes, the end of her nose brushing Jenny's as she did so. “Why?”

“Kind of like it was when we first moved in together?” she asked, biting her lip.

“Yeah, kind of, only way shorter,” Shane said with a nod. Her eyes narrowed a little as she looked at Jenny, a quizzical smile forming on her lips. “What? What is it with my hair?”

“Oh, nothing, I just... I'll bet you looked beautiful,” she said, still smiling as she gently tucked Shane's hair behind her ear. She leaned in, warm breath and lips teasing Shane's earlobe. “I love your ears. I don't know why you always hide them. They're adorable.”

“Jenny...” Shane let out a huff of ragged laughter – the unexpected compliment taking her by surprise - and could feel her cheeks suddenly getting quite warm. 

“What? They are!” Jenny said, giggling as she lightly nipped her way along the shell of Shane's ear. “I think they're very sexy.”

“You do, huh?” Shane couldn't help but grin at that, arms tightening around Jenny's waist as she pulled her in a bit closer, head tilting to one side to aid Jenny in her playful explorations. “I remember when I cut my hair, my friend Clive told me I looked like Dumbo.”

Jenny's horrified gasp was surprisingly loud in Shane's ear even as she drew back a bit and twisted about in Shane's lap to look at her squarely, blue eyes wide and rounded in astonishment. “Oh, my god! No, you don't,” she said, hands lifting to cradle Shane's face for a moment, eyes roving over her face, taking in every detail. After a moment, Jenny's palms slid from Shane's cheeks and she reached up and carefully tucked the dark fringe behind both of her ears. “Shane, your ears are fucking amazing. I think they have character.” 

All Shane could do was laugh, letting her head loll back as the husky, mirthful noises escaped, causing Jenny to protest more heartily as a result.

“No, seriously! They do,” Jenny insisted, only to wind up giggling, herself. She leaned in, playfully kissing Shane's ear again and again, only to burst into another fit of giggles even higher in pitch than the previous ones. “Oh, look, they're turning red!”

“Oh, stop, they are not,” Shane mumbled bashfully, still chuckling even as she drew her shoulder up a little, Jenny's kisses tickling her. 

“No, they are!” Jenny said, laughing as she reached up and lightly traced the very top of the shell of Shane's left ear. “They are, right here. They're bright, bright red.” Leaning in, she pressed a firm kiss to Shane's cheek, grinning. “Oh, Shane, am I embarrassing you?”

“No,” Shane managed, trying her damnedest to force her lips to stop smiling, though she couldn't quite manage it. “It just tickles!”

“Oh, I'm sorry,” she said. More delighted giggling as she stroked Shane's hair.

“I love how you do that,” Shane said, quite suddenly.

“Do what?” Jenny asked, smiling as she looked at her.

“The way you say my name,” she said quietly, her own tickled smile fading and making way for a warm one, her cheeks still flushed a faint pink. “Nobody else ever says it the way you do.”

“Ohh, Shane...” Jenny said, lowering her eyes demurely.

“Yeah, like that,” Shane noted, her smile broadening a little as she reached up, tenderly smoothing the backs of her fingers over Jenny's cheek. “Nobody else makes it sounds like you do when you say it like that.” Broad palm settling against Jenny's fair cheek, Shane leaned in and rested her forehead against Jenny's. “Nobody else makes me feel the way you make me feel when you say my name like that.”

“I love the way you say my name, too,” Jenny confessed shyly as she leaned into Shane's touch, eyes closing as a sweet, girly smile found its way to her lips. “And when you call me Jen. I love it. It doesn't even matter that my name is, like, the most ridiculously popular girl's name in the world, I just love it.” Jenny's words coaxed another rumbly chuckle from Shane and she slipped her arms around Jenny's shoulders, holding her close. “Whenever I hear you say it, it makes me feel... special. I know that probably sounds silly, but it's true.”

“Well, you are special,” Shane whispered, one hand reaching up to stroke Jenny's dark, silken curls, the other massaging small circles between her shoulder blades. “I told you that, once, remember? You mean the world to me, Jenny.”

“I remember,” she whispered back sweetly and turned her head a little, nuzzling her nose against Shane's. “I would never, ever, ever forget something that important, Shane. Never.”

“Good,” Shane replied, voice a warm, reverent purr. “But if, for some reason, you ever do, just let me know and I'll... remind you.”

“Kay,” she said, her lips drawing back into a smile as she let her eyes close. 

The sun was warm, the breeze gently ruffling their clothes and their hair, the seagulls squawking and keening overhead, people cruising by in their cars on the way to and from the beach. But all that Shane and Jenny could feel were their arms holding each other and all they could hear was the sound of the other's steady breaths and in that moment, that was everything that they needed... and all was well in their world.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm gathering together a lot of my fics from various fandoms written under various pseudonyms that have been scattered all over the internet for years. This is one of those fics.


End file.
